Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 115 (120)

115 (120). Against ill luck.

[Atharvān̄giras.—caturṛcam. sāvitram; jātavedasam. ānuṣṭubham: 2, 3. triṣṭubh.]

The first two verses are found also in Pāipp. xx. It is used by Kāuç. (18. 16-18) in rites against nirṛti ('perdition'), with the driving off of a crow to whose leg certain things have been fastened, and with casting into the water certain wraps or garments. The comm. quotes it also from the Çāntikalpa (6. 16) in expiatory rites.

Translated: Muir, v. 348; Ludwig, p. 499; Grill, 41, 187; Henry, 45, 124; Griffith, i. 383; Bloomfield, 168, 564.

1. Fly forth from here, O evil sign (lakṣmī́); disappear from here; fly forth from yonder; with a hook of metal (ayasmáya) we attach thee to him that hates [us].

Ppp. reads in a pāpa- for pāpi, and, for d, ya dviṣmas tasmin tvā sajjāmaḥ. The comm. has at the end sacāmasi. He paraphrases pāpi lakṣmi by pāparūpiṇy alakṣmi; it might be rendered also by 'luck' or 'fortune'; the expression is found also in MB. i. 4. 1, 5.

2. The unenjoyable flying sign that hath mounted me, as a creeper a tree—that, O Savitar, mayest thou put hence elsewhere than on us, being golden-handed, granting good to us.

Ppp. offers no variants. SPP. reports his pada-mss. as reading in a pataya: lū́ or pataya: lū́ḥ, which is very strange, as ours have the true reading, patayālū́ḥ. All the pada-mss. give in b vándanaḥ॰iva, and Prāt. ii. 56 expressly recognizes this and prescribes the irregular combination to vándane ’va; but SPP., on the sole authority of the commentator, alters his pada-text to vándanā॰iva! The comm. explains vandanā simply as latāviçeṣa, and refers back to 113. 1 as another instance of the use of the word; patayālūs he paraphrases with pātayitrī dāurgatyakāriṇī.

3. A hundred and one [are] the signs of a mortal, born from his birth together with his body; the worst of these we send forth out from here; to us, O Jātavedas, confirm propitious ones.

The Anukr. appears to allow the contraction çivā ’sm- in d. ⌊As to "101," see iii. 11. 5 note.⌋

4. These same have I separated, like kine scattered on a barren (khilá); let the good (púṇya) signs stay; those that are evil have I made disappear.

The pada-mss. read in a enāḥ; probably it is rather end 'thus.' The comm. reads blunderingly at the end anīnaçan, and understands tās as its subject, as if the form were not causative.* He glosses khila by vraja. The pada-reading vísthitāḥ॰iva in b is according to Prāt. iv. 77. ⌊In a good pasture, the cows would keep close together; on a barren, they would naturally scatter. Quite otherwise Pischel, Ved. Stud. ii. 205.⌋ ⌊ĀpÇS. iv. 15. 4 may be compared.⌋ ⌊The Anukr. does not note that c is catalectic.⌋ *⌊Alternatively, however, he does take it as a causative.⌋